Location: London, England
After finishing the itinerary at the Natural History Museum and Kensington Palace, we went to this popular Indian restaurant in London that we had booked in advance, Dishoom. Upon entering, we were taken to a waiting area at the bar where we could order drinks to have while waiting. Once our seats were ready, we could take our drinks to the table. However, since we planned to have dinner, we didn't particularly want to drink more alcohol and decided to skip it.
🌟 Garlic Naan
The garlic naan was super delicious! A must-try! We initially ordered one portion, and it came with only two big pieces. After cutting it into four portions, we used the three sauces provided (spicy, spiced, green sauce). The naan was perfectly soft and crispy, very tasty. Later, since we hadn’t finished the curry, we ordered another serving. 🤣🤣🤣
🌟 Chicken Curry
This was a tomato-based red sauce chicken curry. The chicken was incredibly tender and delicious. We ordered an extra serving of rice to go with it. The rice was long-grain, super fluffy, and had no sticky texture at all. It felt very much like a type of fish roe—so soft and difficult to describe. 😅
🌟 Grilled Lamb Chops
When the grilled lamb chops arrived, it was a dish that was visually and aromatically appealing. Since they were bone-in, I highly recommend them if you enjoy bone-in lamb chops. If you're worried about the gamey taste of lamb, you don't need to be concerned at all because the flavor was very fragrant and completely devoid of any typical lamby odor. It was exceptionally delicious.
🌟 Indian Chai
I initially thought I ordered something similar to Thai milk tea, but what came was ginger milk tea. I found myself drinking and rechecking my menu, wondering what I had actually ordered. 🤣🤣🤣 Luckily, I don't mind ginger milk tea, so I happily finished my drink.
While ordering, we informed them that it was our first time dining there and asked for recommendations. They not only provided recommendations but chatted with us a lot as well. (Although my English isn't great, I made an effort to engage in conversation. 🤣🤣) The service was excellent. (I genuinely feel that all British people are friendly and great conversationalists. 🥺🥺😆)
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were a bit hesitant. The whole restaurant looked very dark, almost like it wasn't open for business. During our visit, nobody greeted us, and when we wanted to find a seat, the staff didn't pay much attention... It wasn't until we asked that they acknowledged us!
We looked at the menu and decided that the four of us would order two dishes to try out first.
They were:
❤️ Thigh Chicken Tikka
The red chicken is this dish... the chicken 🐔 was decent in some parts, but a bit too dry in others! The flavor still had that unique Indian spice that I personally am quite used to and actually enjoy! However, the chicken itself was slightly overcooked and a bit tough!
❤️ Lamb Korma
This dish was unanimously loved by everyone! It had a light nutty aroma paired with a creamy curry flavor. The lamb 🐑 inside was well-seasoned and had the perfect tenderness – if the chicken dish scored 70 points, this one would reach 90! Because the taste, temperature, and meat quality could easily tempt anyone to have another piece of naan...
❤️ Plain Naan
This is the classic Indian flatbread. When eating Indian food, it's rare to have anything else, as naan usually takes its place! We were no exception and ordered two servings of naan! The portions were quite large – everyone could get full!
Overall, aside from the service not being particularly ideal, the food was actually quite good. If you're not too concerned about service quality, it's worth trying some authentic Indian cuisine!
There are many different snacks around the world, one of which has always been loved by people in Malaysia is the Indian pancake. This delicacy was improved and created by Indian immigrants in Malaysia to cater to the local residents' tastes, and it is now popular worldwide. You can also enjoy this delicious dish in Taiwan! Previously known as the popular "Cat City Nanyang Cuisine (Indian Pancake)," it has now transformed into "Instant Selection Nanyang Delicacies (Indian Pancake)."
✅ Indian Pancake: It comes in two signature flavors—curry and condensed milk—with the recent launch of new flavors like brown sugar and pepper salt. The pancake skin is quite crispy and filled with a rich egg aroma; it tastes great on its own and is not greasy at all. The condensed milk flavor offers a sweet and rich taste, while the curry flavor comes with a bowl of curry sauce for dipping. The curry sauce is full of spice but not overpowering.
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The Indian pancakes from this shop are very authentic, with a simple pancake skin that emits a strong egg aroma, and the paired flavors only add a hint of fragrance to enhance the complexity of the dish. Moreover, the pancake skin is completely non-greasy, making it easy to eat one after another. The shop has only offered a few options for many years but has still managed to operate successfully, proving that their deliciousness is well recognized by customers. (By the way, this shop was previously an open-air restaurant during the Cat City period, and it has now been moved indoors and equipped with air conditioning to provide a more comfortable dining environment.)
🚩 Ximending Indian Cuisine: Authentic Curry and Naan Perfectly Paired 🥳
📍 Location and Transportation: Kolkata Indian Cuisine is located in the basement food court of Wan Nian Building, Ximending, Taipei City (turn right at the bottom of the escalator from the first floor). The nearest MRT station is Ximen Station, Exit 6, about a 3-minute walk away. There is also the Emei multi-story parking lot nearby for cars and scooters.
🏠 Space: The restaurant has a spacious interior with exotic decor. Being in the basement, the ceiling height is somewhat low, creating a bit of a constricted feeling. Most tables accommodate 4-6 people, so it doesn't feel crowded, and the air conditioning is sufficiently cool.
💰 Ordering and Payment: Orders are taken at the table by the staff, and payment is made in cash at the counter after the meal.
🍽️ Dishes:
Garlic/Butter Naan: This naan is the best I've had in Taiwan; it is fragrant, soft, and chewy. It is freshly baked by hand and not factory-made; you can enjoy its aroma even without dipping it in curry. Paired with curry, you can't stop at just one bite, and I often find myself ordering additional pieces.
Vanilla Butter Chicken Curry: From the name alone, one might think it has a mild flavor, but the chicken breast is marinated with spices, resulting in a rich taste. The texture is tender and not dry. The sauce is flavorful and pairs well with naan.
Mixed Vegetable Curry: This contains cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and beans, all of which are well-stewed and soft. The sauce is mild, making it suitable for children, but it has a powdery texture which I'm not sure if it's from coconut milk or the vegetables.
Crispy Fish Fillet: Fried fish served with lemon and onions; it is crispy and delicious.
Mango Lassi: Very sweet—absolutely sugary, and the mango used is mango sauce; it might be too sweet for northern people 🆖.
I previously ordered a Tandoori chicken leg, which had a strong spice flavor and was a bit burnt, something I'm not quite used to.
💭 Summary:
There is a wide variety of curry options available. Different types of curry (chicken/beef/lamb/seafood/vegetables) not only differ in ingredients but also have entirely different seasoning for the sauces. It's best to order two or three different flavors along with several pieces of naan to share, which is truly fantastic 😋. It has now become a must-eat restaurant during my visits to Ximending.
Although the restaurant's location is somewhat hidden, I noticed many foreign customers while dining this time, so I believe the flavors are quite international.
❤️ This curry pie really took me back to India, and it was made by a handsome Indian guy (I’ve been seeing less of the lady boss lately).
Overall rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
📍 This place is located in the South Airport Night Market, slightly off the main area next to an unnamed baked goods stand. There’s no indoor seating and no restroom available.
🚗 If driving, it’s recommended to park at the nearby Xinhe Courtyard Station (40 NT$/hour), or a bit further at the Ju Guang multi-story parking lot (20 NT$/hour) or the Xinhe Elementary School underground parking lot (30 NT$/hour).
🏍️ Scooters can park in the designated scooter parking spots around Zhongyi Elementary School.
💬 If I were to reminisce about my time in India, I would definitely choose to dine at this Indian curry pie spot. The small shop has been operating for about two years, making it a relatively young vendor in the South Airport Night Market, but it stands alone as the only Indian curry pie seller in the area. This vendor gets its meat from a Muslim supplier, which is usually more expensive than regular suppliers. However, be aware that the curry flavor lingers in your mouth for a while after eating. :D
(Personally, I want to try a sweet one next time for a change of flavor.)
If there’s a public holiday, updates will be announced on their FB fan page.
Food quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Service quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Restaurant atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Price-performance ratio: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
For detailed food reviews, please continue reading below. ❤️
🌮 Kaohsiung Gushan ▫️ Art Museum · Qinghai Road Shopping District
🌮 Absolutely deserves a five-star rating · First choice for group meals Indian cuisine
Earlier this year, my colleagues and I ordered takeout from the company.
To our surprise, the Indian cuisine 🇮🇳 that we rarely tried
was unexpectedly delicious and breathtaking❗️
Since then, I've been unable to forget it.
Coincidentally, there’s a branch near the company (which is at the Light Rail Makado Station)
on the bustling Qinghai Road around the Art Museum.
It just so happened that another colleague and I are both leaving,
so of course, we took the opportunity to have a farewell gathering as seasoned employees,
and asked (the boss) to take everyone out for another meal there😆
—
As the person in charge of ordering takeout and drinks at the company,
I volunteered to take on the important responsibility of making the reservation🙋🏻♀️.
I didn’t expect a strong Indian accent to come through when I made the call☎️
: Ni hao! When would you like to come?
: Friday, 8/16
: Great! How many people?
: 12 people
: What? 123456789 and then 10, 11, 12, 12?
: That’s right
: Great, is this an event?
: Yes, it is
The person who answered the phone, presumably the Indian owner, was just too charming.
His surprisingly enthusiastic tone almost made me laugh.
When we arrived, all the staff indeed had Indian faces～
At first, they watched us closely👀,
hovering around our table, seemingly worried that we wouldn’t be full.
They looked a bit serious,
but after we started eating and praised the food like crazy,
they smiled happily and accepted our compliments.
They even taught us how to say "hello" and "thank you" in Indian!
By the end of the meal, both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves (?)
A huge thank you to them for choosing to stay in Taiwan
and for serving such delicious and authentic cuisine👍🏻.
The menu offers a wide variety of options.
There are choices for those who like spicy or non-spicy, beef or non-beef🉑.
This time we ordered the "Four-Person Feast Set" and added some extras.
Curry, grilled meat, naan, spiced rice, drinks…
We were completely full and it was a super good deal (though the boss paid) 💯.
It was simply amazing (I repeated this countless times in my mind),
and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who can handle spices in their food ✨.
The curry is very fragrant and rich, and it's easy to enjoy it bite by bite with pancake or rice. The portion sizes are very filling, and I highly recommend coming with a group so you can try different flavors at once! The owner is very friendly and offers us suggestions on what to order, and the food comes out quickly, so it doesn't take long even if you order multiple servings at once. The drinks are quite special; my personal favorite is the spiced milk tea, which is full of exotic flavors and a nice departure from the usual tastes!
The meals are delicious and authentic
I think it’s cool that I have to speak English when ordering food with the waiter.
Some meal recommendations
📍Spice series curry
The spiciness can be adjusted and the taste is very distinctive
The curry here is just curry paste and does not come with rice.
Friends who want to eat need to order more
📍Milk tea
Drinking it before a meal tastes different than drinking it after a meal. I recommend it.
📍Scones (must order)
There are four scones in one set, and they taste quite chewy.
It’s different from the Indian naan you usually see at night markets.
Overall, I highly recommend this place for everyone to have a dinner together.
The atmosphere is good and the service is good
A not too big restaurant owned by an Indian family but serving not only Indian food.
Beside Indian dishes also mediterranean cuisine is offered. Like pasta, pizza or Greek food.
In general I am not a big fan of restaurants offering such a wide span of different dishes as often the quality suffers from it. Therefore, I went with an Indian dish because of the owners roots.
The mutton shahi korma was quite good. The lamb was of good quality and prepared well and soft. The sauce was of good and balanced taste but could have had a bit more power. At a previous visit I had the butter chicken which was good too.
Every dish came with a small salad on the side. Nothing special but nice to have.
The others had some mediterranean and Greek food like pork tenderloin with metaxa sauce and gyros. They all liked their choices and will come back again (wasn't the first visit for us anyway).
Incredible Lei Dian, I’m really curious how other people accept it? We have also eaten in many Indian restaurants. This restaurant is not about Taiwanese taste, let alone the degree of Indian spices, but about the quality of the food.
The indoor air-conditioning is not cool, although it can isolate the feeling of heat and humidity in Taipei's outdoor hot summer.
